Method for modeling a glenoid surface of a scapula, apparatus for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis, and method for producing such a component

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and modeling method of the present invention includes the successive steps of generating cartographic data representative of points belonging to a glenoid surface; distinguishing from among the cartographic data a first group of cartographic data corresponding to a first part of the glenoid surface, the first surface part being situated farthest down in the vertical direction in relation to the scapula; calculating from the first group of cartographic data a first ellipsoid portion that coincides substantially with the first surface part; and obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from the first ellipsoid portion. By virtue of the theoretical glenoid surface obtained by this method, it is possible to assist the surgeon in optimizing the position of implantation of a glenoid component and to produce a glenoid component “made to measure” for the scapula that is to be fitted with a prosthesis.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of French application no. FR 0854092, entitled “GMCAO appliquée à l'épaule”, filed Jun. 20, 2008, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a method of modeling a glenoid surface of a scapula. The present invention also relates to a surgical apparatus and a surgical method for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis. The present invention additionally relates to a glenoid component and a corresponding method for producing such a glenoid component.

BACKGROUND

A surgical operation in which the glenoid articular surface of a scapula is replaced by a concave glenoid prosthetic component is a difficult procedure, particularly because of the ligaments around the shoulder. It has been found that, depending on the geometry of the articulation and/or the position of implantation of such a glenoid component, the glenoid component may be at risk of coming loose on account of the change in forces that are applied to the glenoid component during subsequent movements of the shoulder that has been fitted with the prosthesis.

Currently, orthopedic surgeons select a glenoid component from a plurality of implants having geometries, especially sizes, that differ slightly from one another. They choose the glenoid component by empirically estimating the position of implantation of the selected glenoid component by visually assessing the geometry of the glenoid surface of the patient being operated on. The surgeon seeks to select the prosthetic component and implant it on the scapula in such a way that this component reproduces the original articular glenoid surface of the patient. However, this method can be imprecise, in particular, when the original glenoid cavity of the patient is too badly damaged to provide an indicator that can be directly exploited by surgical observation.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the present invention is a modeling method including the successive steps of generating cartographic data representative of points belonging to a glenoid surface; distinguishing from among the cartographic data a first group of cartographic data corresponding to a first part of the glenoid surface, the first surface part being situated farthest down in the vertical direction in relation to the scapula; calculating from the first group of cartographic data a first ellipsoid portion that coincides substantially with the first surface part; and obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from the first ellipsoid portion.

By virtue of the theoretical glenoid surface obtained by this method, it is possible to assist the surgeon in optimizing the position of implantation of a glenoid component and to produce a glenoid component “made to measure” for the scapula that is to be fitted with a prosthesis.

In another embodiment, the present invention is a surgical apparatus for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis. The apparatus includes position-finding means for spatially locating a scapula of a patient, mapping means for mapping a glenoid surface of the scapula, modeling means for obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from cartographic data of the glenoid surface supplied by the mapping means, first means of determination for determining a spatial position of a lower reference point for implanting the glenoid component from the cartographic data obtained at a lower end of the glenoid surface by the mapping means, and means of implantation for obtaining a spatial implantation configuration of the glenoid component from at least the theoretical glenoid surface and the lower reference point.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an implantation apparatus according to the present invention, applied to the scapula of a patient.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view in a frontal plane with respect to the patient of the scapula during an operation with the aid of the implantation apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view in a frontal plane with respect to the patient of the scapula during an operation with the aid of the implantation apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view in a frontal plane with respect to the patient of the scapula during an operation with the aid of the implantation apparatus of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a glenoid component produced by a method of production according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an implantation or surgical apparatus 1 according to the present invention used on the scapula S of a patient to be operated on with a view to implanting a glenoid component. Using the surgical apparatus 1, a glenoid surface G of a scapula S can be modeled to help the surgeon optimize the position of implantation of a glenoid component and/or to produce a glenoid component that is better adapted to a scapula that is to be fitted with a prosthesis, especially in the presence of a glenoid cavity that is in a state of advanced degeneration. The underlying concept of the present invention is based on the realization that, in the vast majority of surgical cases, the degeneration of the glenoid cavity of a patient is often situated in the upper and posterior region of the glenoid surface. Thus, the present invention proposes that only the part of the degenerated glenoid surface situated farthest down the scapula is used to obtain, by modeling, a theoretical glenoid surface as similar as possible to the glenoid surface prior to degeneration.

Estimating a theoretical glenoid surface by modeling has advantages in relation to optimizing the position of implantation of a pre-existing glenoid component and, independently of this, producing a glenoid component specifically adapted to the scapula of a patient. Thus, the present invention further relates to a surgical apparatus and a surgical method for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis and to a method for producing a glenoid component for a scapula. In practice, the modeling method according to the present invention is implemented by any suitable means known in the art, and in particular by computing means

The surgical apparatus 1 includes a computer 2 linked to a unit for emitting and receiving infrared radiation. The unit includes a sensor 3 connected to the computer 2 and an infrared source 4 covering the operating field, in which the scapula S of a patient to be treated is shown in part. The scapula S is associated generally with tendons and ligaments and delimits the glenoid surface G on its lateral surface. The glenoid surface G shows degeneration, or partial damage by wear on account of the advanced age and/or a disease of the patient who is being operated on. As will be explained in detail below, the surgical apparatus 1 is designed to aid a surgeon implanting a prosthetic glenoid component 5 in order to replace the degenerated glenoid surface G. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the glenoid component 5 has an overall cup shape and defines an articular face 5A of substantially spherical geometry, defining an axis of revolution 5B. The glenoid component 5 described above is given only by way of example, and other prosthetic glenoid components of different geometries and/or types can be implanted using the surgical apparatus 1 and in accordance with the surgical implantation method described below.

To spatially locate the bone of the scapula S on the computer 2, the surgical apparatus 1 includes a group of markers 6 which passively return infrared radiation in the direction of the sensor 3. The group of markers 6 forms a three-dimensional marking system allowing the assembly composed of the computer 2 and the sensor 3 to follow the spatial position and movement of the scapula S. The use of such markers is well known in the field of computer-aided orthopedics, for example, as described in document EP-A-1 249 213, such that these markers will not be further described here.

The computer 2 is also linked to a screen 8 for displaying information useful to the surgeon, for example, information relating to the location of the scapula S. In one embodiment, the screen 8 may be a video screen. The surgical apparatus 1 also includes control means 9, for example in the form of a pedal, that can be actuated by the surgeon's foot. The surgical apparatus 1 also includes other components, the details of which will be given below in an example of how the surgical apparatus 1 is used to implant the glenoid component 5. By convention, throughout this document, the spatial positioning terms, such as the words “upper”, “lower”, “vertical”, “horizontal” etc., are understood in their anatomical sense, as if the patient being operated on is standing upright on a plane surface.

In a first step, the surgeon makes a plurality of incisions in the soft parts of the patient's shoulder and collects a number of data relating, among other things, to the anatomical geometry of the bone of the patient's scapula S. To this end, various means of acquisition of the data are conceivable. By way of example, the surgeon uses a tracer 10 whose position is located by an assembly composed of the computer 2 and the sensor 3 and which is calibrated in advance. The tracer 10 is applied to various locations on the scapula S, in particular to the whole of the glenoid surface G. The surgeon, by actuating the control means 9, causes the computer 2 to record the position of the tracer 10. From this data, and in some embodiments, from pre-recorded data relating to the basic geometry of the scapula of a human being, the computer 2 is able to establish a three-dimensional map of the degenerated glenoid surface G of the scapula S.

There are other possible ways by which the cartographic data relating to the anatomical geometry of the glenoid surface G can be acquired, for example by extracting such data from pre-operative images of the scapula S of the patient. In one embodiment, the cartographic data can be obtained from scanner images. Such data can also be combined with data obtained by tracing as described above, and combining the data, where appropriate, with predetermined data from databases available in the field of surgery of the shoulder.

At the end of this first step, the computer 2 displays the mapping results on the screen 8, particularly for visual monitoring by the surgeon. This display is effected in particular in a frontal plane with respect to the patient, passing through the mapping points belonging to the glenoid surface G and respectively situated at the far top and far bottom, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, in which the far bottom and the far top mapping points are designated by P₁ and P₂, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows, in an exaggerated manner designed to facilitate understanding of the present invention, that the degeneration of the glenoid surface G is essentially situated in the upper part of the glenoid surface, particularly in the upper third of the glenoid surface. By way of comparison, the glenoid surface prior to degeneration is indicated by broken lines and by the reference sign “g”. Comparison of the respective outlines of the surfaces g and G in the plane of FIG. 2 reveals that the surface G has undergone a degree of degeneration by wear that is much more pronounced in its upper part than in its lower part, which remains almost intact.

In a second step, the surgeon controls the computer 2 such that it processes the cartographic data obtained during the first operating step. Data processing means integrated in the computer 2 processes the cartographic data in a manner that is entirely pre-established, or in accordance with parameters chosen at the discretion of the surgeon, in such a way as to distribute the mapping points of the glenoid surface G into three distinct groups G₁, G₂ and G₃ which correspond to respective parts of the glenoid surface G and which succeed one another in a vertical direction from bottom to top. For example, the three surface parts G₁, G₂ and G₃ have an identical vertical dimension.

Each of the three groups of cartographic data related respectively to the surface parts G₁, G₂ and G₃ are then processed independently by the aforementioned data processing means in order to model an imaginary ellipsoid portion G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃, which is indicated by broken lines in FIG. 2 and coincides geometrically with the corresponding surface part G₁, G₂ and G₃. In practice, the position of the center C′₁, C′₂ and C′₃ and the value of the radius r′₁, r′₂ and r′₃ of each ellipsoid portion G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃, respectively, are calculated by the aforementioned data processing means in such a way that the ellipsoid portions G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃ passes through the largest number of mapped points for the corresponding surface part G₁, G₂ and G₃, respectively. Each of the ellipsoid portions G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃ is regarded as passing through one of the mapped points when the multidirectional deviation between the ellipsoid portion G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃ and the point is zero, or, at the very least, less than a predetermined value. Other mathematical methods for determining the geometric characteristics of the ellipsoid portions G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃ can alternatively be employed. In one embodiment, ellipsoid portions G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃ are spherical.

The computer 2 displays on the screen 8, for the attention of the surgeon, all or some of the modeled ellipsoid portions G′₁, G′₂ and G′₃, in particular their centers C′₁, C′₂ and C′₃, at the same time as displaying the map of the degenerative glenoid cavity as shown in FIG. 2.

It will be noted that in so far as the lower surface part G₁ and intermediate surface part G₂ are not degenerated or are only slightly degenerated, the centers C′₁ and C′₂ of their associated ellipsoid portion G′₁ and G′₂, respectively, obtained by modeling are very close to each other compared to the center C′₃ of the ellipsoid portion G′₃ modeled from the upper surface part G₃.

In a third step, particularly after the surgeon checks the modeling results hitherto obtained and displayed on the screen 8, checking in particular that the modeled centers C′₁ and C′₂ are indeed close to each other by comparison to the center C′₃, the data processing means of the computer 2 constructs, by calculation, a spherical theoretical glenoid surface G′, which is centered on a center C′ and which has a radius r′, of which the position and value, respectively, are calculated from the positions of the centers C′₁ and C′₂ and from the values of the radii r′₁ and r′₂. By way of example, as is illustrated in FIG. 3, the center C′ is calculated as the center of mass of the centers C′₁ and C′₂, while the radius r′ is calculated as the mean of the radii r′₁ and r′₂. More generally, an essential point of the present invention is that this step uses the modeled geometric data for the region of the glenoid surface G that shows the least degeneration, or the least wear, such as the lower surface part G₁ and intermediate surface part G₂. In this way, it will be appreciated that the theoretical glenoid surface G′ thus calculated corresponds to a reliable estimation of the whole glenoid surface prior to degeneration. It will also be appreciated that it is possible in practice to omit calculating the geometric characteristics of the ellipsoid portion G′₃ if not displaying the latter on the screen 8 and not comparing it to the ellipsoid portions G′₁ and G′₂.

The computer 2 then determines the point of intersection between this theoretical glenoid surface G′ and the straight line radial to the glenoid surface G′ and passing through the mapping point P₂, that is to say the straight line passing through the points C′ and P₂. As is shown in FIG. 3, this point of intersection is designated by P_(up). It will be appreciated that this point P_(up) corresponds to a reliable estimation of the upper end point of the glenoid surface prior to degeneration g. The point P_(up) is displayed by the computer 2 on the screen 8 for visual monitoring by the surgeon.

In a fourth step, the computer 2 provides the surgeon with a display on the screen 8 that shows a plane of implantation W of the glenoid component 5 (shown in FIG. 1), the line of which can be seen in FIG. 4 passing through the aforementioned point P_(up) and also through a point P_(down) determined by the computer 2. The point P_(down) advantageously corresponds to the mapped point P₁.

It is significant that the plane of implantation W corresponds to a particular plane for implanting the glenoid component 5, in the sense that it assures the surgeon that the biomechanical behavior of the glenoid component 5 will be substantially similar or identical to the behavior of the glenoid surface G prior to degeneration if the glenoid component 5 is positioned in such a way that its axis 5B (shown in FIG. 1) extends perpendicular to this plane of implantation W.

If the two points P_(up) and P_(down) on their own are insufficient to provide all the spatial characteristics of the plane of implantation W, the computer 2 can for this purpose use information directly supplied by the surgeon or can spatially orientate the plane W passing through the points P_(up) and P_(down) using the Lévigne angle, by integrating a database relating to the definition of this angle into the computer 2, which data is available from literature on orthopedics.

Thus, the method for modeling a glenoid surface of a scapula includes the successive steps of: generating cartographic data representative of points belonging to the glenoid surface that is to be modeled; distinguishing from among the cartographic data a first group of cartographic data corresponding to a first part of the glenoid surface, this first surface part being situated farthest down in the vertical direction in relation to the scapula S; calculating from the first group of cartographic data a first imaginary ellipsoid portion that coincides substantially with the first surface part; and obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from the first ellipsoid portion. In one embodiment, the theoretical glenoid surface is composed of the first ellipsoid portion.

According to other embodiments, individually or in combination: from among the cartographic data, one or more groups of cartographic data other than the first group of cartographic data are distinguished which correspond respectively to as many surface parts of the glenoid surface that are distinct from the first surface part and that are arranged, in the vertical direction relative to the shoulder blade, following on from this first surface part and, if appropriate, one after another; one or more imaginary ellipsoid portions other than the first ellipsoid portion are calculated from the other group or groups of cartographic data, the other ellipsoid portion or portions coinciding substantially with the corresponding other surface part or surface parts; the theoretical glenoid surface is obtained from the first ellipsoid portion and from at least one of the other ellipsoid portions; in the case where the first ellipsoid portion and the other ellipsoid portion or portions correspond to sphere portions, each sphere portion is determined by calculating the position of its center and the value of its radius; the theoretical glenoid surface is spherical, the position of its center and the value of its radius being calculated respectively as the center of mass of the centers and the mean of the radii of the first ellipsoid portion and at least one of the other ellipsoid portions corresponding to the surface part or parts situated farthest down; and the first ellipsoid portion and the other ellipsoid portion or portions are determined by calculating the spatial characteristics of each ellipsoid portion in such a way that the ellipsoid portion includes, with a preset multidirectional deviation, the largest number of points of the glenoid surface which are represented by the cartographic data of the group of data related to the ellipsoid portion.

FIG. 5 shows a glenoid component 12 of a shoulder prosthesis which, unlike the component 5 shown in FIG. 1, is not a pre-existing part that is available from a plurality of homothetic implants. The glenoid component 12 includes a solid implant body 14, metallic or synthetic in nature, which has an overall cup shape.

One side of the body 14 is designed as an articular, concave face 12A that articulates with the humerus of a patient and supports in particular a humeral prosthetic component of the shoulder prosthesis. Most of the articular, concave face 12A, or in this case all of which, defines an articular surface designed to articulate against a substantially complementary surface (not shown in the figures) which is delimited either by the anatomical upper end of a humerus or by the humeral component of the shoulder prosthesis.

On its opposite side, the implant body 14 has a bearing face 12B which, when the glenoid component 12 is implanted, bears directly or indirectly against the osseous lateral end of a scapula S which has been prepared in advance for this purpose. In a manner known to those skilled in the art, the bearing face 12B is provided with means for anchoring the glenoid component 12 in the scapula S, for example in the form of a stem 16.

The glenoid component 12 has been “made to measure” for the scapula S in FIG. 1. Thus, the articular face 12A does not correspond to a pre-existing standard geometry but instead reproduces the theoretical glenoid surface G′ provided by the computer 2 in the third operating step mentioned above. As the theoretical glenoid surface G′ is a reliable estimation of the glenoid surface prior to degeneration, it will be appreciated that the articular face 12A is substantially similar, from a geometrical point of view, to the degenerated surface, which explains the use of the aforementioned expression “made to measure”. The articular behavior of the glenoid component 12 on its articular face 12A is therefore almost identical to the natural behavior of the patient's shoulder prior to the degeneration of the scapula S.

Advantageously, the bearing face 12B also no longer corresponds to a pre-existing standard geometry but instead takes into account the state of degeneration of the glenoid surface G of the scapula S. In particular, the upper end part of the bearing face 12B is designed to take into account the pronounced wear in the upper part of the glenoid surface G. To do this, the thickness of the implant body 14, that is to say its dimension in a medio-lateral direction, is greater in the upper end part of the implant body 14 than in the rest of the implant body 14. The maximum value of the thickness at the upper end part of the implant body 14 being indicated by “e” in FIG. 5. The variation in thickness of the implant body 14 is determined, for example with the aid of the computer 2 from the cartographic data corresponding to the highest surface part G₃ (shown in FIG. 2). In this way, when the lateral end of the scapula S is prepared with a view to implantation of the glenoid component 12, the surgeon removes only a limited amount of bone substance from the lower region of the glenoid surface G, here in the area of the surface parts G₁ and G₂ (shown in FIG. 2). The amount of bone removed is just enough to take into account the small thickness of the lower part of the implant body 14, whereas the thickness of the upper part of the implant body 14 is dimensioned so as to substantially match the surface part G₃. In other words, contrary to conventional practice, the surgeon does not attempt to “level” the upper and most badly worn region of the glenoid surface G during its preparation, as this would lead to excessive removal of healthy areas of bone from the scapula S and would medialize the glenoid component 12, unless the implant body 14 were made thicker.

In practice, the material forming the glenoid component 12 is shaped by any technique known in the art. In the case of a glenoid component made of metal, the glenoid component can be cast and then machined. If a plastic is used, it is generally cast and then, if appropriate, rectified. In all cases, the articular face 12A and bearing face 12B are precision-worked in order to adjust them respectively to the theoretical glenoid surface G′ and to the prepared lateral end of the scapula S.

The present invention relates to a surgical apparatus for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis including: position-finding means for spatially locating the scapula of a patient being operated on; mapping means for mapping the glenoid surface of the scapula; modeling means for implementing the modeling method defined above and thereby obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from the cartographic data of the glenoid surface obtained by the mapping means; first means of determination for determining the spatial position of a lower reference point for implanting the glenoid component from the cartographic data obtained at the lower end of the glenoid surface by the mapping means; and means of implantation for obtaining a spatial implantation configuration of the glenoid component from at least the theoretical glenoid surface and the lower reference point.

Thus, by virtue of the theoretical glenoid surface obtained by the modeling method defined above and also by virtue of information that relates to a lower reference point that the surgeon can obtain directly from the, in principle, undamaged lower end of the degenerated glenoid surface of the patient, the surgeon can base the implantation of a glenoid component on data that is satisfactory with regards to the geometry of the glenoid surface of the patient prior to degeneration. The surgeon is thus able to improve the implantation configuration of the glenoid component and is able to do so during the surgical intervention.

In embodiments of the surgical apparatus of the present invention, the following may be used individually or in combination: a second means of determination for determining the spatial position of an upper reference point for implanting the glenoid component from cartographic data obtained at the upper end of the glenoid surface by the mapping means and from the theoretical glenoid surface; a means of implantation adapted to obtain the spatial position of a plane of implantation of the glenoid component which passes through the upper and lower reference points; the second means of determination adapted to position the upper reference point at the intersection between the theoretical glenoid surface and a straight line radial to the surface, passing through the point of the glenoid surface mapped by the mapping means and situated farthest up; and display means for displaying the glenoid surface mapped by the mapping means, the lower reference point and at least some geometric characteristics of the theoretical glenoid surface, and also, if appropriate, the upper reference point and the plane of implantation.

The present invention also relates to a surgical method for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis in which: the scapula of a patient being operated on is located spatially; the glenoid surface of the scapula is mapped using data acquired by tracing the scapula and/or by data extracted from pre-operative images and/or data obtained from a pre-established database; the glenoid surface is modeled in accordance with the modeling method defined above in such a way that a theoretical glenoid surface of the scapula is obtained from the cartographic data; the spatial position of a lower reference point for implanting the glenoid component is determined from the data associated with the mapping of the lower end of the glenoid surface; and the glenoid component is implanted in a spatial configuration determined from at least the theoretical glenoid surface and the lower reference point. The surgical method can be implemented by the implantation apparatus defined above.

The present invention also relates to a method for producing a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis for a scapula in which the glenoid surface of the scapula is modeled in accordance with the modeling method defined above, and in which the articular face of an implant body designed to articulate against a substantially complementary humeral surface is shaped in such a way that at least part of the articular face reproduces the theoretical glenoid surface supplied by the modeling method.

The production method according to the invention allows a glenoid implant to be “made to measure”, in the sense that its articular face reproduces as closely as possible the glenoid surface, prior to degeneration, of the scapula that is to be fitted with a prosthesis. The articular comfort for the patient is thus enhanced.

Of course, it is advantageously possible to produce a glenoid component “made to measure” by means of the method of production according to the present invention, and then to implant the glenoid component with the aid of the implantation apparatus defined above, that is to say in accordance with the method of implantation also defined above.

Various configurations and alternatives of the implantation apparatus, of the implantation method and of the method for producing the glenoid component are also conceivable and are described below. By way of example:

-   -   the means for finding the position of the bone of the scapula         and/or of the tracer is not limited to markers that reflect         infrared, markers sensitive to ultrasound or to electromagnetic         fields can be used;     -   it is possible to model only a single ellipsoid portion which         coincides substantially with the lowest part of the glenoid         surface and which will then constitute, for the purposes of the         method, the theoretical glenoid surface;     -   the act of determining the plane of implantation W can be made         optional when the computer is capable of spatially guiding a         tool for implanting the glenoid component shown in FIG. 1 such         that the articular surface of the glenoid component is         positioned in line with the theoretical glenoid surface, taking         into account the lower reference point;     -   the vertical extent of only the lowest glenoid surface part or         that of each of the different glenoid surface parts succeeding         one another from bottom to top can be pre-established, chosen         arbitrarily by the surgeon by indicating it to the computer, or         can be calculated by the computer, especially by a formula of         the ratio between the extent of the part in question and the         total extent of the glenoid surface; and/or     -   more than three imaginary ellipsoid portions can be modeled from         as many successive surface parts along the degenerated glenoid         surface, the spherical theoretical glenoid surface making it         possible to determine the spatial position of the upper         reference point calculated from only the group or groups of         cartographic data corresponding respectively to the lowest         surface part or the lowest surface parts.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features. 

1.-19. (canceled)
 20. A surgical system for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis, the system comprising: an image scanner that, in use, generates preoperative images of at least a portion of a glenoid surface; a data processor that generates a glenoid surface model based on cartographic data obtained from the preoperative images; wherein the data processor determines a thickness in a medio-lateral direction of an upper part of the glenoid component from the glenoid surface model and the cartographic data; and wherein the glenoid surface model is representative of a spatial implantation configuration of the glenoid component.
 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the data processor generates the glenoid surface model from a spatial position of an upper reference point based on the cartographic data obtained from the preoperative images of an upper end of the glenoid surface.
 22. The system of claim 21, wherein the data processor determines the upper reference point based on a point of the glenoid surface situated farthest up in relation to the scapula.
 23. The system of claim 21, further comprising a display for displaying the upper reference point.
 24. The system of claim 20, wherein the data processor generates the glenoid surface model from a spatial position of a lower reference point based on the cartographic data obtained from the preoperative images of a lower end of the glenoid surface.
 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the data processor determines the lower reference point based on a point of the glenoid surface situated farthest down in relation to the scapula.
 26. The system of claim 24, further comprising a display for displaying the lower reference point.
 27. The system of claim 20, wherein the data processor determines a spatial position of a plane of implantation of the glenoid component.
 28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a display for displaying the plane of implantation.
 29. The system of claim 20, further comprising a display for displaying geometric characteristics of the glenoid surface model.
 30. The system of claim 20, further comprising a display for displaying the glenoid surface model.
 31. The system of claim 20, wherein the data processor generates the glenoid surface model based on the cartographic data obtained from the preoperative images of a less degenerated area of the glenoid surface; and wherein the glenoid surface model is representative of the spatial implantation configuration of a portion of the glenoid component corresponding to a more degenerated area of the glenoid surface.
 32. The system of claim 31, wherein the data processor generates the glenoid surface model based on the cartographic data obtained from the preoperative images of the more degenerated area of the glenoid surface.
 33. The system of claim 31, wherein the data processor determines a spatial position of a plane of implantation of the glenoid component which passes through the less degenerated area of the glenoid surface and the more degenerated area of the glenoid surface.
 34. The system of claim 20, wherein the thickness of the upper part of the glenoid component is determined from the cartographic data corresponding to an upper surface part of the glenoid surface.
 35. A surgical system for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis, the apparatus comprising: an image scanner that, in use, generates pre-operative images of at least a portion of a glenoid surface; a data processor that generates a glenoid surface model based on spatial position data obtained from the preoperative images of a first area of the glenoid surface; and wherein the glenoid surface model provides a thickness in a medio-lateral direction of a portion of the glenoid component corresponding to a second area of the glenoid surface.
 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the processor generates the glenoid surface model of a more degenerated area of the glenoid based upon the spatial position data acquired at a less generated area of the glenoid.
 37. A surgical system for implanting a glenoid component of a shoulder prosthesis, comprising: position-finding means for spatially locating a scapula of a patient being operated on; mapping means for mapping a surface of the scapula; modeling means for obtaining a theoretical glenoid surface from the cartographic data of the surface of the scapula supplied by the mapping means, first means for determining the spatial position of a lower reference point for implanting the glenoid component from the cartographic data of the surface of the scapula obtained at a location spaced away from the worn area of the glenoid by the mapping means, and means for obtaining a spatial implantation configuration of the glenoid component from at least the theoretical glenoid surface and the lower reference point.
 38. The surgical system of claim 37, wherein the lower reference point is obtained exclusively at the lower end of the glenoid surface.
 39. The surgical system of claim 37, wherein the lower reference point is based on a point of the glenoid surface situated farthest down in relation to the scapula.
 40. The surgical system of claim 37, further comprising means for producing the glenoid component.
 41. The surgical system of claim 40, wherein the glenoid component defines an articular face.
 42. The surgical system of claim 37, wherein the modeling means for obtaining the theoretical glenoid surface uses pre-recorded data relating to a basic geometry of a human scapula.
 43. The surgical system of claim 37, wherein the modeling means for obtaining the theoretical glenoid surfaces only uses the cartographic data supplied by the mapping means. 